A lot of people take to cooking in olive oil as a healthy alternative. The Spanish, Italians and the Greeks include it in their daily diets because it helps maintain health and vitality. It is found in abundance in the aforementioned countries and they are the major suppliers of olive oil to the rest of the world.

Medical research has proven some of the reasons why the Mediterranean people pay such high esteem to olive oil. The incidence of cardiac failures and cancers is lower in the Mediterranean countries.

Olive oil has been a Mediterranean staple for thousands of years. The olive itself was first introduced to the shores of the Mediterranean basin over 5,000 years ago. For the people who inhabit the shores of the ancient sea, the olive's divine nectar has since become nothing less than a way of life.

Olive oil is obviously not a purely Mediterranean passion anymore. You probably had your first taste as a baby. The supermarket shelf is now filled with olive oil blends of varying quality and flavour. The olive's divine nectar can make your salad days healthier. It is found rich in monounsaturated fat and vitamin E. It maintains healthy cholesterol levels and cares well for the skin and the joints.

Studies conducted over the past 20 years have consistently demonstrated the striking health-related benefits of olive oil. Perhaps more importantly, the advantages of using this wonderful, luscious liquid in place of the sinful, fatty spreads and oils we all love and adore are substantial.

Unlike butter, margarine, and other unhealthy food oils and spreads used in households, olive oil is low in saturated fat, which has proven to be a major contributor to heart disease. Since it is high in monounsaturated fat, it decreases the risk of heart disease.